KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As Christmas wraps up and families settle in for the rest of 2021, it can feel a little cramped at home. Zoo Knoxville wants to give people a chance to get out of the house and spend some time at Red Panda Village, where a new family is also settling home.
They announced Tuesday that triplet red panda cubs were debuting at the zoo. Willow, Rose and Ruby are all from John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They stopped by Knoxville as part of the Red Panda Species Survival Plan.
Officials said that Knoxville is the Red Panda Capital of the world, marking more than 110 births. They said more red pandas have been born in Knoxville than at any other zoo in the world. The 110th red panda birth at Zoo Knoxville was in June 2019.
They usually live up to 14 years and weigh up to 13 pounds. Red pandas are also considered endangered since much of their habitats have been destroyed by urban development and construction across the world.